After months of negotiating about Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, Pres. Barack Obama spoke today in the Rose Garden at the White House to announce that a deal has been reached.
“The United States, together with our allies and partners, has reached a historic understanding with Iran,” Obama said in his speech. “Which, if fully implemented, will prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. As president and commander-in-chief, I have no greater responsibility than the security of the American people and I am convinced that if this framework leads to a final comprehensive deal, it will make our country, our allies and our world safer.”
Iran has had a nuclear enrichment program for a number of years, but at this time it does not have a nuclear weapon.
A number of stipulations were included in the deal, including Iran having to reduce its number of installed centrifuges – which are used to enrich uranium – by two-thirds, not enriching uranium above a certain threshold for at least 15 years, reduce its current stockpile of uranium and not to build any new uranium-enrichment facilities for 15 years.
In addition to this Iran has agreed to be transparent and allow for inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency in all of its nuclear energy and uranium-enrichment facilities, which it has been compliant with in the past.
Daniel Metz
